Moreton Bay Fig - Bonsai Tree - Ficus Macrophylla - 10 Seeds

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The Moreton Bay Fig Ficus macrophylla, is a large evergreen tree. Named after Moreton Bay in Queensland, it is a native of most of the eastern coast, from the Atherton Tableland in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales although it is found cultivated much more widely than this in Australia. Growing to over 40 m tall in its native environment, It has large, elliptic, leathery, dark green leaves ranging from 10-25 cm long and produces a [barely] edible fruit similar to the common fig, Ficus carica. The fig on the Moreton Bay Fig tree is purple and about 2cm in diameter. Before turning purple, the fig is an orange colour. Figs appear from February to May (although it is not uncommon to find trees in their natural territory fruiting at other times) and are attractive to birdlife. Perhaps the most notable feature o this fig is the huge raised, buttressed root system on mature trees. These are very pronounced and can be a wonderful spectacle, although something of a negative if planted in areas where the roots are unwanted. Moreton Bay Fig is hardy in most soils in low frost areas. As with most figs it can take low light situations and makes an attractive indoor plant when young. It makes a good bonsai subject, although the large leaves (they do reduce on bonsai-ing) and fairly wide-spaced internodes can make other species of fig preferable as bonsai. The great attraction of this species as a bonsai though is its ease of growth, its speed of growth from seed and the beautiful trunk and buttressed roots. As with all figs it is a great bonsai beginners subject.